Latch



July 16, 1929. R. G. MOORE LATCH Filed May 8, 1926 Z293 12 la/1 PatentedJuly 16, 1929.

' UN IT 0S l 1,721,162 I T FFE E RAYMOND e. moons, or animaron',CONNECTICUT, AssreNoa 'ro THE nAssrCx.

' COMPANY, or BmDGEPoRT,-CCNNECTICUT.

LATCH.

AppIicati'on. ld May 8, 1926. Serial No. 107,540.

The'present invention relates to an improved automobile door latch,particularly of the type adapted tobe key-locked at the outside, anobject being to provide a latch of simple construction, which will beeiicient and reliable in operation, and in which lthe several main partsof the latch, the casing,

v bolt, retracting means, spring, etc., are adaptL ed to use in latchesnot equipped with locking means, or equipped with inside loc-king means,which upon manipulation lock the outside handle, or render its operationineffective.

It isl particularly proposed, in Vthe present embodiment, to provide alatch in which the latch bolt is adapted to have free retractingmovement in the locked relation of the outside handle, either bymanipulation of the inside handle, or -by pressure applied against thenoseend of the bolt, as in slamming the door closed; and further, toprovide a latch construction in which the locking means may be locatedat any desired point on the latch casing, that is, it may be placedabove or below the bolt and at any desired point longitudinally, withoutmaterial changes in the structural design or main combinative relation,thereby adapting the main parts of the latch lto use upon varlous cardoors, in which the handle and lock positions aie differently arranged.n

v With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of theinvention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodimentwill be heremafter more fully described with reference thereto, and theinvention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan elevationof an automobile door latch,according to the present embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, taken along the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 3--3 of Fig.1; and

Fig. 4 is a plan elevation, with the cover plate removed, and showingthe locking means in unlocked relation, Fig. 1 showing the same inlocked-relation. A

Similar reference characters indicate cor- 50 responding partsthroughout the several figi into projected position. The bolt isretained against displacement by means of a flat cover f plate 19, angedat its upper and lower edges, as at 20, and secured to the plate 10 bylugs 21 inserted through slots 22 in said plate 10 and bent over uponthe surface of the plate 10. The main portion of the boltv within thecasing may preferably be formed of flat sheet metal, while the noseportion may be a forging riveted thereto.

At the rearward end of the bolt there is provided an upwardly projectingvertical extension 23 engaged by the inner handle roll-back 24, the hub25 of which has bearing in apertures formed in t-he base and vcoverplates 10 and 19..` A coil spring 26 normally engaged at one end with alug 27 on the roll-back and engaged at its other end against a lug 28struck from the base plate yieldably retains the roll-back in its normalposition by engaging a projection 29 thereon with the leg 28.

The outside handle roll-back 30 has its hub 31 rotatably engaged inapertures in the plates 10 and 19 adjacent the face flange 11, 90 and isadapted to actuate the bolt through an intermediate slide member 32slidably engaged with the upper surface of the bolt, and adapted to bearat its rearward end a ainst the vertical' forward surface of the bo textension 23, while its forward end is extended upwardly and forwardlyto engage against the outside handle roll-back 30. A boltbridgingportion 33 of the slide member extends transversely across the bolt,being 100.

flanged, as at 34 and 35, to engage the upper and lower edges of thebolt and thereby retain the slide member in sliding Connection with thebolt. A spring 36 engaging the upper portion of the slide membernormally presses A it forwardly against the outside handle rollback, sothat the latter is' retained in its normal relation during operation ofthe inside handle, or retraction of the bolt through pressure directlyapplied at its nose end. 11i4v A slot 37 and a pressed out portion 3S intheA cover plate 19 permit retraction movement of the bolt nose and theslide member, the latter having its bridging portion 38 engaged 1n saidportion 38.

The locking means consists of a locking lever 39 pivotally mounted at40, provided at one end with a lug or hook portion 4l adapted kin oneposition of the lever to lockinglv en- Vagainst movement. The other endof the lever is provided with a lug 42 and is engaged with a rotarykey-lock 43 secured to the casing, the lever having'yieldable engagementwith the lock through the action of a coil spring 44 tending to rotatethe same in clockwise direction and out of locking relation with theslide member. The lock is provided with'a substantially semi-circularcam portion 45 adapted by abutment of its end with the lug 42 to limitthe rotation of the lock, and by engagement with the upper surface ofthe lever, through turning in clockwise direction, (Fig. 1) `to move thelever into locking engagement with the slide member. Upon rotation inthe opposite direction the lever moves against the cylindrical surfaceof the lock, as shown in Fig. 4, disengaging from the slide member, -andpermitting operation of the outside handle.

The sheet metal retracting member 32, it will be noted, extends aboveand below the bolt, and inasmuch as the blocking of this member effectslocking of the outside handle, the locking lever may obviously be placedat any desired point upon the casing, without materially changing thedesign of the parts.'

'Ihe positions of the handles may also be readily changed by changingtherelative placement of the forward end of the retracting member, whichend may be either .above orbelow the bolt, and the extension portion `23of the bolt, which may also be above or below the bolt, the sheet metalstructure permitting of suchpchanges, without great expense in tools.`The locking means is simple, effective, and will not readily get ont oforder.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodimentof the invention. but it will be obvious that changes may be madetherein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters latent is 1. In a latch, a latch bolt, retracting means for saidbolt including manually operable means, a retracting membery interposedbetween said manually operable means/and the bolt and adapted to havelongitudinal sliding movement with saidbolt, and locking means adaptedto be manipulated to prevent retracttween said manually operable meansand the bolt, and locking means adapted to be manipulated to preventretracting movement of said. retracting member, whereby operation ofsaid manually operable means is prevented, said bolt being free to beretracted independently of said retracting member by retracting pressureapplied directly thereto. .I

3. In a latch, a latch bolt, retracting means for said' bolt includingmanually operable means, a retracting member slidably engaging said boltto permit relative longitudinal movement between them, and extendinginto operative relation with said manually operable means, and lockingmeans adapted to be manipulated to vprevent retracting movement of saidretracting member, whereby operation of said manually operable means isprevented.

4. In a latch, a latch bolt having a transverse abutment portion,retracting means for said bolt including manually operable means, aretracting member interposed between said manually operable means andsaid abutment portion of the bolt, and locking means adapt- 'ed to bemanipulated to'prevent retracting movement of said retracting member,whereby operation of said manually operable means'is prevented. A

5. In a latch, a latch bolt, retracting means for said bolt includingmanually operable means, a retracting member interposed between saidmanually operable means and the bolt and having a bridging portionslidably engaging and extending transversely across said bolt, andlocking means adapted to be manipulated to prevent retracting movementof said retracting member, whereby operation of said manually operablemeans is prevented.

6. In a latch, a latch bolt, retracting means for said bolt includinginside and outside manually operable means, a retracting memberinterposed between said outside retracting means and said bolt andadapted to have longitudinal sliding movement with said bolt, andlocking means adapted to be manipulated to prevent retracting movementof said retracting member, whereby operation of said outsideretracting-means is prevented.

7. In a latch, a latch bolt, retracting means for said bolt includinginside and outside manually voperable means, said inside retractingmeans directly engaging the bolt, a retracting member interposed betweensaid outmember, whereby operation of said outside .e

retracting means is prevented.

8. In a latch, a latch bolt having a transverse abutment portion,retracting means for saidbolt including inside and outside manuallyoperable means, said inside retracting means directly engaging saidtransverse abut` ment portion, a retracting member interposed betweensaid outside retracting means and said bolt and directly engaging saidabutment portion, and locking means adapted to be manipulated to preventretracting movement of said retracting member, whereby operation of saidoutside retracting means is prevented. l

9. In a latch, a latch bolt, retracting means for said bolt includingmanually operable means, a retracting member interposed between saidmanually operable means and the bolt and adapted to have-movementlongitudinally with said bolt, and locking means comprising a leverincluding a` portion adapted in one position of said lever to engagesaid retracting member to prevent retracting movement thereof, wherebyoperation of said manually operable means is prevented, and key actuatedmeans adapted to move said lever into and out of locking relation.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State ofConnecticut, this 4th day of May, 1926.

RAYMOND G. MOORE.

